Flying high
by smylealong
Summary: Set after the events of "If I could fly...", a series of inter-related one shots that answers some questions that were left unanswered in the original story. AU. Multiple pairings.
1. Trials

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

To the new readers: If you haven't read "If I could fly..." this one won't make much of a sense since this is a sort of sequel. I would recommend reading that story before you start reading this. Oh and please leave reviews :)

To my existing readers: I now started the promised one-shot series. This is the first one-shot of the lot. First, this one turned out longer than I planned. I had planned on an approx length of 3200 words, but I overshot by 1400 or so words, but in the end, I like what has come up. A brief outline of what's covered in this one shot. It starts right where the final chapter of "If I could fly..." left off and ends with the three main Espadas being released from the prison.

Apologies for the delayed update. My last update was more than a week ago, which is too long by my standards. But I have been out of action. I have an inflamed rib and it hurts. The only way I am comfortable is when I am standing and that's why, I have been slow in typing my chapters out. As for my other fic, "I see you", the next chapter is ready, I am waiting on Cerice belle, who's graciously accepted my request to become my beta reader. She has an exam and is therefore very busy. Once she's free, she'll start being my beta once again. She hasn't had the chance to beta read this one. I didn't want to burden her with such a long piece at this point of time.

This is perhaps the longest Author's note I have ever written, so I'll stop yapping now. As always, read and review.

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><p><strong>Trials<strong>

To a stranger the girl who sat hunched on the bench, staring at the massive and ornate gates would seem like a normal teenager caught in the midst of a hormonal teenage angst. Dressed in her school uniform that consisted of a short grey pleated skirt, white button down blouse, red bow tie and grey full sleeve jacket, the girl seemed totally oblivious to the fact that the flurries had in fact turned heavier and was now threatening to become a heavier snowfall. She was a beautiful girl with her big bright starry grey eyes, heart shaped face, small but sharp nose and beautiful pink lips. Her most striking feature however was her waist length, ginger colored hair that she normally kept tucked behind her ears with a pair of blue star shaped hair clips, but on this occasion, her hair was held up in a messy bun. Despite the fact that she was only sixteen, physically she resembled a much older woman, especially owing to her curvaceous figure. Little did people know that mentally too she was much older than sixteen, and that was due to another little known fact- she had led a miserable life.

Her misery started when she was a young girl of six. She lost both her father and her brother in a car crash and her mother, to support herself and her daughter, had remarried her the then employer, Aizen Souske. Her step-father had turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. He had abused Orihime in every way imaginable for ten long years. On the thirteenth year of Orihime's horrible life, shortly after Orihime's step-sister Haruki was born, her mother had stumbled upon them. Unable to bear the shock and shame, her mother had committed suicide, leaving her three week old baby daughter in Orihime's care. As Haruki grew older, Orihime became more and more determined to save her from the fate that had befallen her and so she stood as a shield between the child's innocence and the monster of a father these girls had.

In her sixteenth year, due to certain unforeseen circumstances, a man had entered her life. Ranking fourth in an elite group of ten highly trained mercenaries called Espada, Ulquiorra Schiffer was assigned the dual role of becoming her body-guard and spy. Lethal, dangerous, cold, calculating, aloof, serious and introverted, this man was everything she was not. And yet, somehow he had warmed up to her, made her smile, had given her a reason to trust in people, had made her feel safe and in the process, stolen her heart. He was the man who had finally put an end to her tribulations. He was the man who had finally set her free. He was the one who had given her the wings to fly.

And now, sitting on the bench, hunched, staring at the gates, surrounded by a blanket of white, sixteen year old Orihime Inoue was mourning his departure from her life. He and the rest of the Espadas had been taken into custody, along with Aizen and Tosen. Orihime sat on the bench, unable to process just how much her life had changed in the past few hours. Gone was the man who had tormented her for most of her life, making it a living hell. But then, so was the man who had liberated her. The man in whose arms she had slept most peacefully. They had slept in each other's arms for only four days, but she knew that never again was she going to get a proper sleep without his reassuring arms around her. Unbidden, a lone tear made it's way out of her eye, streaked her cheek before falling off on her skirt, leaving behind a white trail that froze instantly because of the cold.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. With a jolt she turned around to see a slim man of medium height, short dirty blond hair and an eye patch. Despite the eye patch, he had a very kind face. Orihime recalled seeing him in Las Noches a few times, but she had never spoken to him. Her confusion must have shown on her face because he replied,

"I am sorry to startle you Miss Inoue, but I think you should be getting inside. You'll catch a cold sitting here."

Belatedly, she noticed the black umbrella in his other hand that he held over her.

"Who?" was all she could manage, in a voice that even she didn't recognize as her own.

"Ah, pardon me madam, I am Tersa Lindocruz. I work under Nnoitra Jiruga, the Quinta Espada."

"Oh!" She said, then something clicked, "Haruki was with you, right?"

"Yes mam. She's sleeping at the moment. I must repeat mam, we should get inside, before you catch a cold."

"Cold?" She sounded as if it was the first time she had heard the word, "Ah! Yes, cold. Yes, perhaps I should get inside."

She got up from the bench as Tersa walked around the bench, somehow still holding the umbrella on her head and started walking next to her. When she stumbled a couple of times, Tersa managed to steady her as they made their way into the building.

That night had been one of the longest nights Orihime had ever known in her life. It had started with Haruki throwing a massive tantrum. She was very upset about her father leaving without telling her and she was insisting on meeting him, then and there. No amount of coaxing or cajoling from Orihime pacified the child, she just had to meet her father, period. Haruki had done everything she could think of, screamed, cried, thrown things, held her breath, stomped her foot, but nothing worked. Her father was not coming back and that was something the child just wouldn't believe. Ultimately exhausted from all the screaming, shouting and crying, Haruki fell into a fitful sleep.

Orihime however spent the night awake, her mind in a complete turmoil. A part of her was happy that she was finally free of the cage that was binding her. But that part was too small and insignificant. Ulquiorra's absence was like a knife through her heart. She missed his arms around her, missed his voice, his scent, his comforting presence, she missed everything about him. But she didn't cry because his words kept echoing in her ears "Do you want me to go with the image of your teary face?" She had wiped her tears then and couldn't let them out now. Slowly she got out of her bed and went over to the suitcases that were still there next to her closet. Someone had cleaned her room in her absence so that no traces of the fight from the evening were left. These suitcases contained Ulquiorra's clothes and right now, they were the only thing of his that she had with her. She pulled out a shirt from the suitcase and brought it to her bosom. His musky scent still lingered on the shirt and she inhaled deeply. Finally, the dam broke and the tears spilled.

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><p>Orihime had requested Tersa to drop her to school on a car because she didn't think she had the strength to walk to school. Consequently, she was the first to reach her classroom. She sat on her bench and hunched herself into a small ball and placed her head on the desk. Just the day before Ulquiorra had been sitting next to her and now she was all alone, once again.<p>

Before long she heard Chizuru scream a greeting, "Hime!"

She inhaled deeply. 'Hime', only two people ever called her by that name. The two people she loved the most. She couldn't bear it when Chizuru used that name. As the girl came closer to hold her in a tight hug, she scooted away and brushed the red head's hand away.

"Chizuru," she said icily, "Only two people have ever had the right to call me by that name. One of them is no longer in this world and the other is Ulquiorra. Don't ever call me by that name, I haven't given that right to you."

Chizuru stood there stunned at the sudden change in the normally soft spoken girl. Slowly people started filling in and Chizuru kept looking at Orihime, her eyes as big as saucers. The ginger-haired girl completely ignored her, staring straight ahead. For most part of the first half she continued to ignore her friends as they continued to try and get some response from her. At lunch however, Rukia and Tatsuki surrounded her.

"Orihime," Rukia said looking worried, "I heard that your uncle got arrested? Are you alright?"

Orihime blinked a couple of times in confusion before realizing that Rukia's brother was in the Police and therefore she knew about Aizen's arrest.

"Yes, I am fine." She replied with a small smile that was obviously fake.

"No you are not." Tatsuki said with a frown, "You are clearly disturbed. Where is Ulquiorra when you need him?"

Orihime was wondering when this question would have popped up.

"He's gone." She replied dully.

"Gone?" Rukia said with a frown, "What do you mean gone?"

"Exactly that, gone." It was clear that either Rukia wasn't aware of the Espada's arrest or she hadn't put two and two together to realize why Ulquiorra was absent.

"Gone where, and for how long?" Tatsuki asked.

"Indefinitely." Orihime said, answering only one of the two questions.

"I don't like this." Ichigo added, obviously having overheard the conversation "He should be here. You are disturbed and he leaves you like this?"

Orihime opened her mouth, but Renji cut her off before she could say anything.

"Looks like your doubts about him were right, Ichigo. He can't be trusted."

"Guys!" Orihime said vehemently "He didn't leave me, he just HAD to go."

"Oh of course!" Ishida said with acid in his voice, "The first scent of trouble, and he HAD to leave."

"I knew it!" Ichigo said, "Didn't I tell you Rukia, the guy wanted something else. But as soon as he realizes that Inoue needs help, he..."

"ENOUGH!" She screamed, surprising everyone, "You all have no idea what you are talking about. You don't even know where he's gone and why. You all just jumped to the conclusion that since he's not here, he's abandoned me. Well, guess what, he's with me, all the time. You guys have no idea what he's done for me. Hell, if I am standing here in front of you today, it's because of him. I am alive because of him. If he could help it, he would have been right here, right now. But he cannot, and I know why and surprise surprise, I don't hold it against him. Nor do I deem it necessary to explain anything to any of you."

Angrily she brushed past Ishida and was about to storm out of the classroom when she abruptly turned and walked over to them, her eyes blazing.

"Oh and by the way, I cannot be happier that my 'uncle' is arrested. If I weren't so upset about losing a few people whom I hold very dear, I would have been out there, celebrating in a cheer leader's dress with bright pink pom-poms in my hand."

With that she walked out, leaving her friends gaping after her.

"What's with her? I have never seen her so aggressive!" Rukia muttered

"No idea." Ichigo and Tatsuki chorused.

"What did she mean by 'losing a few people I hold very dear'?" Ishida asked.

"I caught that part too, and it makes no sense." Renji said with a frown.

No one noticed Sado quietly slip out and follow Orihime to an empty classroom.

"Inoue." Sado said to the hunched form of hers.

"What?" She snapped at him, "What allegation do you have to throw at Ulquiorra?"

"None." He said slowly, "I just came to tell you, should you need a shoulder to cry on, I am there."

She looked up at him, as if seeing him for the first time. She ran up to him, clutched him and cried her heart out.

* * *

><p>It was the final day of the much publicized trial. By now all of Karakura knew about Aizen Souske, Kaname Tosen and the Espadas. For Orihime, it had been like the opening of a can of worms. The world knew now that Orihime Inoue was in fact Aizen's step daughter and not his niece. They also knew that Kasumi and Sora Inoue were killed by him and that Aiko had committed suicide. However, Orihime's darkest secret was kept a secret. Aizen had enough crimes listed against him to lock him up for life, so when Orihime pleaded with Gin to keep her history hidden, he had agreed.<p>

Her friends had been shocked to know her true identity. They couldn't believe that Orihime had never told them anything about it. Tatsuki had been hurt that she hadn't trusted her enough to tell her the truth. Orihime on her part, didn't offer any explanation as to why she had kept everything a secret, except that her step father had put a condition in front of her mother that the world knew she was a distant cousin of the Souske family. She didn't go into details as to why her mother had committed suicide, after all they were still unaware of a lot of things.

After the initial shock had worn off, everyone of Orihime's friends stood by her in what they thought were the toughest time in her life. Ulquiorra hadn't failed to notice that. He noticed how they would all turn up in the courtroom with her and that pleased him immensely. He was glad that she wasn't alone and putting up a facade. He didn't care what happened to him, so long as she had shoulders she could lean onto when she needed one. Across the courtroom, his eyes met with hers and silently they told each other volumes. It had been her seventeenth birthday a few days ago and she had come to meet him at the jail.

_Flashback_

_They were about to meet for first time in a couple of months. Because of the severity of the case and the publicity it had garnered, Orihime wasn't allowed to meet any of them till now. Her request would have been denied once more, but she had persuaded Rukia to convince Byakuya and he had been able to procure a time slot. However, it was only for twenty minutes and that too in complete stealth. The press had been hounding Orihime for the missing pieces of the puzzle, making her life a series of photos, reluctant interviews and escaping the press. Why had Aizen hidden his step-daughter from the world? Why had her mother committed suicide? What was Aizen's motive behind the murders? How much was her involvement? Why had the Espada risen in mutiny? For once Ulquiorra was glad of the protectiveness of her friends, she had needed every bit of it to escape the relentless pursuit. Byakuya had arranged for a car to pick her and Haruki up from Las Noches at midnight and have her brought over to his house, away from prying eyes. Early in the morning, he escorted her to the prison himself, leaving Haruki in Rukia's care and led her to the small room in which she was to meet him alone._

She stepped in as quietly as she could and waited for Byakuya to close the door behind him. By the light that filtered in from the tiny window, she could see the room was smaller than her bathroom and was almost completely bare, save for a few empty cardboard boxes lying at one corner. She briefly wondered what could possibly be the use of such a room, but dismissed the thought, she had more important things to think about, namely the person standing across the room with his arms folded, his eyes on her. Hesitatingly she took a step towards him. He uncrossed his arms and opened them for her. That was all she needed, she ran to him and hugged him tightly.

_"Happy birthday, Hime." He said with his face buried deep in her hair._

_"Thank you, Ulquiorra." She said, smiling. She had vowed to herself that she wouldn't cry in front of him. _

_"Let me take a look at you." He said and held her by her shoulders. "Have you not been eating well? You look thinner."_

_She smiled and said "No one to stand over me and make sure I finish my meals."_

_He shook his head with a small smirk on his lips, "How's Haruki?"_

_"I think she's a little confused with everything that's happening. I explained to her that her father has done something wrong and is receiving time out just like she does when she's been naughty, only difference is, he is a grown up and thus his time out is longer. She is still upset and searches for him."_

_"Poor child." He said, "How's her sister coping?" _

_"She understands." She said moving closer to him, resting her head on his chest. "But she misses a certain green eyed man."_

_His grip tightened as he replied, "He misses her too."_

_"How are you? How bad is the prison?" She asked, her voice laced with worry._

_"I have faced worse." He said nonchalantly."Only thing is, the food here is almost as bad as your cooking. But at least I have practice."_

_She laughed and punched him lightly. They stood in each other's arms for a couple of minutes, each drinking in the proximity of the other. _

_"I have something for you." He said after a while._

_She was surprised, she really hadn't expected anything from him, given where he was. He dipped his hand into his pocket and fished out a silver chain._

_"It isn't much, but.."_

_She squeezed her eyes tight shut to push back the tears that had almost come out. _

_"It's beautiful. But how did you..?"_

_"Oh, Gin. He owed me a favor. I got him to get this for me."_

_She smiled, turned around and held up her hair for him to put the chain around her neck. He clasped it and placed a small fleeting kiss on her neck. She shuddered lightly and turned around to look at him, _

_"Thank you so much. I can't tell you how much this means. It's the best gift I have ever received."_

_"How could I not give you something today?" He dipped his hand into his pocket and got out a folded piece of paper. "This is a letter from Grimmjow. He asked me to give it to you." _

_She pocketed the letter to read it later. _

_A small knock on the door signaled their time was up. Orihime closed her eyes and hugged him tightly once again. They shared a quick chaste kiss as the knock was repeated again._

_"Bye Ulquiorra." _

_"Bye Hime." _

_They looked at each other for one last time before she left the room. Outside, she wiped the couple of tears that had finally come out. _

_End flashback_

He saw her now, fiddling with the chain he had given her. Something told him she wore it all the time. A nudge from Nnoitra who was sitting next to him alerted him that the judge was now about to give out the sentences. In a loud and impressive voice, Judge Rose De Salvo announced the sentences.

"Yammy Llargo and Aaroniero Aauruerire" she said stumbling over Aaronireo's last name, causing the Espadas to snigger and the said man to scowl at his comrades, "given your records, you are both awarded a sentence of a year each."

In the seat, Orihime smiled. That wasn't so bad.

"Zommari Rureaux and Szayel Aporro Granz, your transgressions are comparatively severe and therefore you are both awarded a sentence of eighteen months each."

Orihime grasped Tatsuki's hand tightly, she was happy that Gin had so far kept his promise. The Espadas were indeed getting off lighter than she expected.

"Grimmjow Jagerjaquez and Nnoitra Jiruga, you both have had a particularly violent history and I was inclined to award you both higher penalties, however, you both turned material witnesses and therefore I am forced to compromise. Ulquiorra Schiffer, although you are not nearly as violent as those two," The judge glared at the fifth and sixth Espadas, "but you are in no way any less. Infact, coupled with your intellect and calmness, I would say you are far more dangerous than those two, but since you turned in some important evidences against Aizen Souske, I am yet again forced to overlook all of that. The three of you are awarded a sentence of two years each."

Orihime was ecstatic. She couldn't believe her ears. Two years? That was much more than she had hoped for. She could feel the reassuring squeezes from her friends. The judge then proceeded to award Hallibel and Barragan their three years sentences and Starrk's sentence of five years. While she was a little sad about Starrk's sentence, overall she was immensely pleased. In a matter of five years, her real family would be with her. That was more than she had hoped for. She had no feeling for Tosen's sentence, having hardly ever interacted with the man. All she was now waiting for was Aizen's sentence. How long would he be held? As the judge was reading a list of Aizen's offences, her eyes fell on him. He looked distant. When the judge awarded him a sentence of sixty five years plus a double life imprisonment, she saw Aizen deflate visibly. It was as though something inside him broke. She could see it in his eyes that now he was a man who knew he lost the battle of his life. It was then that Orihime knew that perhaps there was a God somewhere. She was finally at peace.

* * *

><p><span>Two years later:<span>

For Orihime Inoue, both years passed very differently from each other. The first year seemed insurmountable. In that year she had finally finished her school, had started learning some aspects of the business from her lawyers and trustees and managed to take care of Haruki. Once Yammy and Aaroniero were released, the next year was a whirlwind. Between taking care of the business and handling Haruki, who was going through a phase of extreme moodiness, Orihime had her hands more than full. Finally the day arrived. The day she would meet him, not in his prison overalls but out in the open sun as a free man. She was more nervous than a fifteen year old going for her first date. Across the room, seated on the couch bed, Szayel and Ishida looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Those two men knew fashion more than anybody else that Orihime knew and therefore they were made to sit there as she frantically ran through her closet, looking for something she could wear.

"Subtle, subtle." Szayel reiterated, as she picked up another dress that clashed miserably with her bright hair.

"Seriously Orihime," Ishida said, "It's like you have never met him before. Come on, he has seen you."

"Oh you don't understand!" Rukia said as she helped her friend select the best outfit.

"Apparently." Ishida muttered.

"Is everything ready for the party?" She asked, anxiously.

"For what's like the hundred and fiftieth time, yes." Szayel said shaking his head.

"How do you all put up with this?" Ishida asked him seriously.

"Oh I am a doctor. Patience comes with the profession."

"How's this one?" Orihime asked, picking up another outfit.

"No good." The two men chorused.

"God! Inoue, move. I'll see." Ishida said finally, having had enough of his friend's antics.

He walked over to the closet and stood there for a minute, staring at her collection.

"You need a serious make over girl." He said frowning. "Singularly, I like nothing. We'll have to mix match."

Szayel walked over to the closet as well, effectively pushing both the girls out of their way. The two men muttered for a while, pushing through her clothes before they seemed to have finally made up their minds.

"This." both of them said together.

Rukia and Orihime had to agree. It was a beige pleated skirt that reached just below her knees. The men had coupled it with a braided brown belt and a green full sleeve turtle neck top that showed off her figure beautifully. Complete with brown peep toed pumps, simple pearl earrings and her hair done in a braid that was brought over her left shoulder, Orihime looked elegant and beautiful. As Aaroniero was going to drive her to the prison gates, Rukia and Ishida took their leave, each of them hugging her and wishing her all the best.

Nnoitra was the first one to step out, his absurd height becoming quiet an inconvenience for him to come out of the door. Stepping out, he stretched and then his eyes fell on Orihime and he grinned.

"Good to see you." He said and then said "Fuck I need a good long bath."

She laughed and said, "It's all ready for you guys back at home."

"Home." He said smiling his usual toothy smile.

Ulquiorra was the next to step out. Orihime couldn't speak. She stood staring at him. Beside her, Nnoitra bent and closer to her ears said,

"Go on. He needs that hug from you. I won't look, promise."

She looked at the tall Espada and grinned. He gave her a mock salute and walked over to Aaroniero, greeting him noisily. Orihime looked back at her lover, who hadn't moved an inch. He had been admiring her from a distance. She walked over to him and hugged him lightly. His arms went around her, pulling her closer.

"Welcome back." She whispered.

"You look beautiful." He said slowly.

Grimmjow stepped out last, looking over his shoulders at someone. He showed them the finger and yelled,

"That's for all the crap you guys fed us in the name of food."

Apparently he got a satisfying reply, because he was laughing his head off as he stepped out.

"Chick!" He said still grinning.

Standing next to Ulquiorra, with his hand across her shoulder, she smiled at him widely and said "Hi Grimmjow."

"What? I don't get a welcome hug?" He said with fake disappointment.

Laughing she walked over to him and hugged him, "Welcome back."

"Thanks chick. Some good food is all I want. Oh and sleep. I want to sleep for eighteen hours straight."

"Food, check. Sleep, we'll see." She said grinning mischievously as she walked towards the car, between the two Espada, her hand locked with Ulquiorra's. Ulquiorra looked at her questioningly. Grimmjow was more vocal,

"What's that supposed to mean? I am tired, I'll fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed."

"Like I said, we'll see." She said, her grin getting wider.

The three recently released Espada's confusion grew even more when they saw the normally stoic Aaroniero grin at Orihime's comment.

"Something is cooking here." Nnoitra said, looking from one to the other.

"You are a genius." Aaroniero said sarcastically.

"What's going on? Why can't I sleep?" Grimmjow asked yet again.

"I never said you _can't_ sleep. I am just not sure that you would want to sleep." Orihime said, with a gleam in her eyes.

"Why?" He said, unable to control his curiosity.

"That's for us to know and you all to find out." Orihime said evenly.

All through the journey to Las Noches, Grimmjow and Nnoitra fruitlessly pestered Orihime and Aaroniero for information. Ulquiorra reclined in his seat, his hand still locked with hers, as he listened to the four bicker endlessly. He smiled slightly, he was home.

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><p><strong>AN:** What was in Grimmjow's letter? Why can't Grimmjow sleep that night? What has she planned for them? All questions answered in the next one shot.


	2. Tanabata The reunited lovers

Thank you for the wonderful response to my first one-shot. I am very happy.

Some of you are aware that I am struggling with a lot of pain and hence I had said that there will be a delay in updates. But when I woke up this morning, I was relatively better and so I could sit for a longer period and hence I could complete this chapter too. I am glad I could too because I have no idea when I will be able to make the next update. Let's hope it's sooner than later.

This chapter tells you about Grimmy's letter and why he won't be able to sleep that night. The reason I chose this title is because of the legend that goes around the Japanese star festival. It's about two lovers reuniting for one day every year. I am focusing on the reunion bit and not the fact that it is temporary.

Oh and things get a little...ahem...steamy out here. Not much, just a little. The thing is, I cannot throw in a lemon just for the heck of it, if it's there, it has to contribute to the plot in some way, and this almost lemon too contributes to the plot.

As usual, R&R.

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><p><strong>Tanabata- The reunited lovers<strong>

As the car rolled inside the massive gates of Las Noches, Grimmjow whistled.

"Wow!" he said, "This place sure has changed. And I must say for the better."

It had indeed changed. Under Aizen, everything was kept in pristine neatness and stict discipline. The sprawling garden in front of the mansion had been lined with neat geometrical lines of hedges that were almost constantly trimmed and managed. In terms of decoration there had been a few fountains and some benches here and there. In the two years that Orihime had taken over Las Noches she had effectively stamped her personality all over. In one corner of the garden, she had had a play area built for Haruki. A tennis court, a basketball court and a swimming pool had also been added. Additionally she had beds of bright flowers planted in various places adding some much needed color to the dull and dreary atmosphere of Las Noches. But the most marked change was the fact that there was a lot more noise around as if the place had come alive. People within the place now laughed and enjoyed their life, which was how Orihime had always visualized Las Noches.

The car came to a stop in front of the Espada Quarters. All of them noticed that it too had been changed. Under Aizen the Espada Quarters were monochromatic and dull white. Orihime (although it was Szayel who had suggested the color combination) had them painted in two shades of brown, lining the entrance to the buildings with begonia, making the place look warm and welcoming.

"Holy shit! This place looks wonderful!" Nnoitra said looking around, "I like this."

"Thank you." Orihime said beaming.

"Seriously chick!" Grimmjow said looking at the Espada quarters, "I can't believe how much you have done."

"Oh there is a lot to do still," She said blushing slightly, "I thinking about turning one of the two conference halls into a small movie theater. Given how big the family of Las Noches is, we can do a movie night on Saturdays."

"Super!" Grimmjow said enthusiastically. "I love the way you think."

Ulquiorra's eyes however were on the tower Aizen's father had built for star-gazing, where there was clearly some work going on.

"What's happening there?" He asked pointing at it.

"Oh I am just repairing it. I want to use it for what it was actually made. Someone introduced me to the joys of star-gazing." She said with a warm smile.

Ulquiorra looked at her from the corner of his eyes and smirked slightly.

"Alright gentlemen, please get refreshed and meet us in conference hall one by six o' clock. Oh and dress well." She said briskly.

Nnoitra and Grimmjow walked into their respective quarters, followed by Aaroniero. Ulquiorra walked over to her and said,

"Have you ever been inside my quarter?"

That was the invitation Orihime had hoped for. Smiling she said, "No I haven't."

He held out a hand which she took demurely. She couldn't explain why, but she had been feeling very nervous around him. Her heart was beating so fast, she could hear it. Her ears were burning and she could feel her palms sweating. His proximity was driving her insane. She at once wanted to be in his arms and as far away from him as she could. She licked her lips nervously as he led her into his quarters.

He opened the door quietly and welcomed her in. His quarter was simple and neat, much like him. The walls were a pale yellow and the wall to wall carpet was of coffee color. His door opened to a bright and airy living room that had huge windows and was furnished with a sofa and a TV. At a ninety degree angle to it was the dining area with the open kitchen adjacent it. To the left of the living room was a veranda. To the right of it was an arch with two doors on each side, one led to the bedroom and the other to the bathroom.

"This is so pretty!" She said smiling widely.

"Thanks." He said as went around opening every window to let fresh air in. "So, what is the big plan tonight?"

"Oh that, it's a surprise." She said brightly as she settled on the sofa.

He nodded and let the matter be. He sat down on the sofa next to her and draped his hand around her. She could feel her pulse rising yet again.

"What are you so nervous about?" He asked.

_Damn! He has noticed. _She had thought she was being discrete. She licked her lips and said, "I...I am very..." Words failed her as she turned a bright crimson.

Taking a lock of her hair in his other hand, he pulled her closer and whispered, "You are very.. what?"

Unable to take the tension any longer, she threw her arms around him, bringing him as close as she could.

"I missed you so much!" She said, her voice barely audible.

He wanted to tell her that he had missed her terribly as well, that he was glad to be back and that he would never leave her again, but it seemed that he had lost the capability of speech as soon as she hugged him. All he could think of was how good it felt to finally hold her, free of all inhibitions. How her smell of the first rain enveloped his senses. How soft she felt against his rock hard muscles. He pulled apart just enough so that he could take her lips into a long, deep and passionate kiss in which he hoped he could pour all his feelings that he was unable to put in words.

Time had stopped for Orihime as he deepened the kiss, his arms firmly around her. The last time they had kissed like this was just before he got arrested. She had yearned for his touch, his taste, him smell and now that she was getting it, she couldn't have enough. She held his shirt with one hand and her other was around his neck. She felt herself lie down slowly on the sofa, still kissing him, unsure if he had pushed her or she had pulled him, not that she cared. One of his hand moved from her back and under her skirt to her thigh. She gasped slightly and arched into him, welcoming him. He broke the kiss and trailed small kisses on her cheeks and jaw. Her eyes fluttered close as she let herself drown in moment. She had never been happier. His hand was slowly trailing small circles on her thigh as his lips moved on to her shoulder. She heard him let out a small frustrated noise as he realized her top was not only turtleneck but full sleeve and tucked neatly into her skirt.

"Perfect clothing for the occasion." He said sarcastically as he swiftly worked her top out of the skirt.

Laughing slightly, she worked on the buttons of his shirt. With some help from him, his shirt was quickly disposed off. Her top was next to join. He gave her a long kiss and was about to go lower when he came to an abrupt stop. Starting from the swell of her breasts, all over her torso there were white slashes, some faint and some broad and a little elevated. To his trained eye it was obvious that they were all knife wounds, some shallow but most of them deep enough to have caused her a lot of pain. An insatiable wrath ran through him, making him want to kill someone; namely Aizen. He sat up suddenly, trying to control his raging fury, as he looked away from her. The sight of her bruised body was only adding fuel to a fire he needed to control. He didn't want her to see his anger, she didn't deserve it.

Belatedly she realized what had stopped him. Guilt, shame and a deep sense of betrayal filled her when he looked away from her. She was ugly and she knew it. What had she been thinking? She fought back the tears of humiliation as she pushed herself to a seating position on the sofa. She cast a look at him sideways, stood up and bent down to retrieve her top. She was about to wear her top when he held her hand. Dressed in her simple black bra and the skirt, with her top in her hand, she didn't think she could face him again. She snatched her hand away from him, resolutely turning her back to him.

He was perplexed. "What happened?"

"It's alright Ulquiorra," She said in a clipped voice, "I understand."

He knew she was angry, but he had no idea why, "Understand what?" He was looking at her back which was riddled with scars as well. _What has he done to her? Didn't that bastard have any mercy?_

_"_Freshen up. There is a party later today. I have to go and check on it's preparations." She clutched her top tightly in her hand.

"Hime wait, what happened to you? Why won't you even look at me?"

"Can you?" She asked, turning her head slightly so that all he saw was her profile.

"Can I what?" He was completely clueless.

"Can you look at me Ulquiorra? Do you think I did not notice how you recoiled?"

_Damn! She completely misunderstood._ He opened his mouth to say as much but she cut him short.

"It's alright Ulquiorra, I should have known." Her voice had started to crack, "Accepting someone like me is not easy. I...I don't know what I was thinking. I don't blame you, it's me. I..I should have known that fairy tales don't exist. I should have gotten over them twelve years ago."

Ulquiorra closed his eyes and sighed. Her words hurt him somewhere deep inside.

"That's it?" He said softly, "This is what you know about me? Is this what you think, Hime? After everything?"

"Then tell me what am I supposed to think?" She turned to face him as tears streamed down her face. She threw her top on the floor and spread her arms, "This is what I am Ulquiorra, bruised and battered. Used and abused. Ugly. There is not a part of my body that hasn't been used to satisfy his sick fantasies. I am a wreck of a person that he has left behind. If you want to look away from the wreckage, I will understand. If you want to look for something new, I won't stop you."

"Shut up." He almost whispered it, but she could feel the anger in those simple words.

"Ulquiorra.." She said haltingly but he held up a hand.

"You think it matters to me how you look? Am I not fully aware why you look the way you do? You think that changes how I see you? Hime, when I fell in love with you, it was with you. All of you. Not your body. Not your face. You. The person that you are. That's all that has mattered to me. Ever. I am sorry that I have not been able to make you see that. It hurts me to know that you don't trust me enough. I did whatever I could to prove it to you but apparently it wasn't enough." Saying so, he bent down and scooped up his shirt. "I will be at the party by six madam. See you."

Without waiting for her reply, he walked away leaving a teary Orihime. Silently she wore her top and walked out of his quarter.

* * *

><p>She sat on her bed, huddled in a ball, crying non-stop. Over the past two years, she had fantasized their reunion over and over again, in many ways. But all of them had been happy. Not even in the wildest of fantasies had she imagined herself sitting alone in her room, crying. Two years! Two years she had waited to be in his arms. To love him and be loved back, but everything had been ruined by those stupid scars. A part of her knew he wasn't so petty as to pay importance to her physical appearance and that he loved her just as she was, no questions asked. But another part, the part that was always self-conscious about the signs of abuse that she carried with herself, the part of her that was broken and shattered, the part of her that had no confidence told her otherwise.<p>

A knock sounded at her door reminding her that Szayel was supposed to be getting her dress since he had zero faith in her choice. Wiping her tears, she plastered her fake smile with practiced ease and opened the door.

"Orihime," Szayel beamed, as he entered her room "your..." he stopped and frowned, "what happened to you?"

"N-nothing."

"Don't lie to an Espada, Orihime. You are not skilled enough to pull that one off."

"Did I ever tell you I hate you Espadas?"

"Some five hundred times." He said as he carefully laid the dress on the bed, "Now tell me, what happened? Why are you in your own room? Shouldn't you be at Ulquiorra's quarter?"

"You came here looking for me." She pointed out.

"Actually I did go there first. He told me that you had left his quarter some time ago. Now out with it, what happened?"

"We fought." She said flatly.

"Ah! How serious?"

"Serious enough to raise questions about trust."

"Ouch! Tough one huh? Every couple has that fight at some point of time. But if I know you and Ulquiorra, you guys will work it out. Listen, in today's party, pull him away a bit and make it up to him."

"But how?" She said sitting down on the couch bed. "I think I hurt him very badly."

"Oh honey!" He said as he settled down next to her, "That guy is crazy about you. There is no way he can stay angry at you for long. Just give him a hug and a kiss and voila, he'll be back to normal."

"But...he was very angry."

"Hmmm." He said nodding wisely, "He's very scary when he gets angry. Even Starrk is wary of his anger. But he's basically a level headed guy. I know he might be scary when you go to him, but trust me, he'll be normal in no time. Now come on, wash that angelic face of yours and lets get you set for the party."

The dress Szayel had chosen for her was the prettiest thing she had ever seen. It was made of lace that was the same grey as her eyes. A modest V neck with short sleeves, an empire waist with tiered scalloped lace bands at skirt that ended just above her knees. It also had little shiny crystals that glittered when she moved. It hugged her body tightly enough to show off her excellent figure and yet was lose enough for her to be comfortable. She paired it with little diamond studs and a small diamond pendant that belonged to her mother. On Szayel's suggestion, she tied her long hair in a messy up do that left her slender neck completely exposed. Pairing the dress with silver high heels, she was looking breathtaking. Szayel stepped back and clapped his hands in delight.

"If that green-eyed emospada is able to keep his eyes and hands off you, I'll change my name to Bobobo."

She snorted, "Bobobo?"

"Yes he is the titular character of a manga. But that is beside the point. What I am trying to say is, girl, you are going to knock the socks off the poor unsuspecting chap."

Grimmow was dressed in a dark blue pinstripe suit, that accentuated his impressive built. However, he had still managed to stamp his own rugged style by not wearing a tie and keeping the first couple of buttons open. He was waiting for Nnoitra and Ulquuiorra to join him. Ulquiorra joined him first. He had chosen to wear a taupe colored suit. He too seemed to have ditched the tie, having never really managed to learn to tie it properly. Nnoitra joined soon. He had chosen to wear a simple maroon shirt, neatly tucked into back pants and his hair tied into a tidy pony tail at the base of his neck.

"What? Moron, she asked you to dress nicely." Grimmjow said looking at him.

"He doesn't look wild and untamed, that's nice enough for him." Ulquiorra said.

Nnoitra decided to take Ulquiorra's remark as a compliment and grinned wider than usual.

"So Ulquiorra, did chick tell you what's going on?"

"No." He said bluntly, the memories of the afternoon coming back to him in full force. He had originally planned to catch up on a bit of sleep in the afternoon, given how exhausted his body was, but anger and rage had kept him awake. Now, he had calmed down enough to be able to think about it from her point of view. He reasoned that he should have probably explained to her what was going through his mind but instead he had let his anger at Aizen fuel him and he had ended up making her cry. Right now he was furious with himself for having made her cry. He would have to make up to her as soon as he saw her. But when he entered the conference hall one, he wasn't prepared to see what he saw.

There she stood with a smile on her face, looking like she had stepped out of his dreams and come in front of him in flesh and blood. He felt Grimmjow move past him to her and say

"Chick! Oh my God! You look...wow. If I weren't already trying somewhere else, I'd have seriously given you a thought after seeing you in that."

She laughed and said, "Too bad I am not available."

"Yeah, too bad. Damn, Ulquiorra is a lucky bastard I tell you."

_Lucky bastard?_ Ulquiorra thought. _Grimmjow has no idea. This exquisite woman standing in front of us is mine. I am probably the luckiest man in the whole world. _

Nnoitra gave her a once over and said "I am gonna have you as my boss? Super!" he grinned widely and then seriously asked, "Where is the food? I am starving."

Orihime pointed at a table that was laden with food. Nnoitra spotted Yammy near the table and went over to him, yelling a greeting. Grimmjow bounded to meet Yammy as well. It was then that Orihime finally turned to look at Ulquiorra, who had for the second time in the day lost his ability to speak. She smiled and walked over to him.

"Forgive me," she said looking at him, "I over-reacted in.." She was silenced by a finger on her lips. He shook his head slowly and said,

"I am sorry too. My anger was misdirected."

She held his hand in hers and kissed his fingers gently.

"So," She asked with a smile, "how do I look?"

It took all of his determination to not whisk her away from the party at that very instant and show her exactly how she looked.

"I'll answer that question later." He said, his face completely expressionless.

To anyone else, that sentence would have sounded dismissive. But Orihime read the exact meaning behind his words and turned a very pleasing shade of pink. Ulquiorra sighed, this was going to be a very long evening.

"Hey chick!" Grimmjow came over to her. Ulquiorra welcomed the distraction. "What was that surprise you were talking about?"

"Oh yes," She said brightly, "come with me."

She grabbed Grimmjow's hand and pulled him to one end of the conference hall. Curious, Ulquiorra followed. She walked the length of the hall and over to the private room that was in the corner. She knocked on the door, waited for a while, but received no reply.

"Alright, time for us to see your surprise."

Smiling brightly she turned the handle of the door, which opened to reveal a beautiful woman dressed in a pristine white cocktail dress. Looking at them she smiled and said,

"Hello Jagerjaquez."

Grimmjow's jaw dropped, as he stared at her stupidly for a few seconds.

"You don't seem very happy to see me, GJ?" She said in a teasing voice.

"Nel?" He sputtered, "How?"

"You remember the letter you sent to me?" Orihime said, "The one in which you gave me Nel's address and asked me to inform her as to why you had to go away yet again?"

"Yes.." He said.

"Well, I just went a step further." She said grinning. "I am sure the two of you have a lot to talk about, so go in Grimmjow. I'll see you both during dinner in about an hour."

She pushed Grimmjow in the room and gently closed the door behind him and whispered,

"Good luck guys."

"You have done a lot in these two years." Ulquiorra said, impressed.

"I couldn't have done it without you." She said seriously.

"What? What did I do?"

"Every time I found myself confused or undecided, I would close my eyes and try to picturize what you would do? And then I would do exactly that."

* * *

><p><span>Hour &amp; half later<span>

Szayel sat with his hand on his cheek, slumped on the table. Never before had he sat at a stranger dinner table. On one side of the table sat Ulquiorra, Orihime, Grimmjow and some girl who had been introduced to them as Nel. He understood that Ulquiorra and Orihime were in a bubble of their own and he didn't hold it against them. After all they had finally met after two long years, they deserved all the attention each was showering on the other and more. He was a little confused about Grimmjow and the girl Nel. It was as if the blue-haired Espada couldn't take his eyes off the girl. The girl too was beaming at all the attention he was giving her. So taken was the Sexta Espada that he hadn't even cast a look at the alcohol that was on the table, which as every Espada knew, was Grimmjow's biggest weakness. But apparently he had a bigger weakness- this pretty turquoise-haired girl. Not that he blamed him, this girl was a bombshell and if Szayel had been interested in women, he would have definitely fallen hard for this girl. Unfortunately his interests lay elsewhere.

If the scene to his right was strangely unsettling, the scene to his left was downright bizarre. Yammy, Nnoitra and Aaroniero were drunk and completely out of their senses. Yammy had taken off his shirt and tied it around his head, Nnoitra had undone his pony and his hair was open and falling all over his face. Yammy and Nnoitra were loudly singing and banging their heads. So garbled was their pronunciation and so tuneless was their rendition that Szayel had no idea what was the song that they were singing. Aaroniero was using his fork and knife as drumsticks and was pitching in random words in the song. Since Szayel didn't drink, he couldn't join the drunken celebration either.

Szayel sighed. He'd had enough. He cleared his throat and said,

"Well, good night guys. I'll call it a day."

"Oh my!" Orihime said, as she suddenly realized how ignored the poor man was, "I am so sorry Szayel, please sit, we'll talk."

"No no, it's absolutely alright." He said with a genuine smile, "You guys have met each other after ages, you guys deserve all the time alone. I would hate to interrupt you all. And I refuse to take part in..." he cast a half amused and half disgusted look to his left, "whatever that is."

"You sure?" She asked.

"Oh absolutely. As it is I have a busy day tomorrow. I have to teach Haruki and that is not a small task. Something tells me I will also have to treat some serious headaches. Plus I need to visit the hospital as well. I really think I should call it a night. So good night all."

"Bye Szayel." The four sober ones said.

As they watched the pink haired man leave the hall, Grimmjow tried unsuccessfully to supress his yawn.

"Tired?" Nel asked.

"Oh yes, very. My whole body hurts. Those damn prison beds are very uncomfortable."

Ulquiorra stretched and said, "I agree. I am sore all over. I wonder where Nnoitra's getting so much energy from?"

"Alcohol!" Grimmjow explained, "You have never been that drunk, have you?"

"No." He cast a look at the three and said, "I don't think I even want to."

"Oh you should sometime." Grimmjow said grinning.

"Why would I want to make a complete fool of myself?"

"Come on, we are all family here."

Ulquiorra shook his head and said, "All the more reason not to. I don't want embarrassing pictures and videos of myself being played everywhere."

"That," Orihime said suddenly, "is a fantastic idea!"

Before anyone could understand, she whipped out her mobile phone and started recording the 'performance' happening in front of them. Grimmjow and Nel collapsed into peals of laughter. Even Ulquiorra smirked.

"Anyway," Grimmjow said wiping his tears of mirth, "I will call it a night. I am very tired."

Orihime grinned and said, "Goodnight Grimmjow, Nel."

"Goodnight Orihime and thank you." Nel said smiling.

"Goodnight chick, Emoking. Don't think there is any point telling those three anything."

Grimmjow and Nel walked out of the conference room.

"Shall we go as well? I don't think they'll miss us." Ulquiorra said.

Orihime laughed and said "I don't think they will. Let's go."

* * *

><p>"This place brings back memories." Ulquiorra said as he looked around Orihime's room. Nothing had changed. "You still have that couch bed?"<p>

"Yes, I couldn't have that taken away."

"I see." He said sitting on the bed, "I haven't seen Haruki all day, where's the kid?"

"Oh she's been hiding." Orihime said peeling off her sandals and sat next to him, "She's taken to hiding away like this off late. Szayel says it's to be expected, she's gone through quite a few changes recently." She said messaging her feet. "Oh these heels! My feet are killing me!"

He quietly took her feet, put it on his lap and started messaging it.

She was startled and said, "Ulquiorra, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"Aren't you the one who's sore all over?"

"Yes, you can return the favor shortly." He said, barely managing to stifle his yawn.

"By the way," She said smiling mischievously, "You never told me how I am looking?"

Without replying to her he pulled her closer and whispered, "Breath taking."

Orihime pushed him on the bed and lay on top of him.

"It's time your sore body got some massage, Sir. Relax."

She quickly took off his coat, undid his shirt and made him lie on his chest as she slowly massaged his back.

"This feels so good." He said.

"Glad to be of service. Now be quiet."

He complied as she carefully felt his stress knots and started working on them gently. It wasn't the first time that she was seeing him shirtless but she couldn't help marvel at his body. He was

very well toned, his body clearly that of a warrior. She could now see the scar on his waist that was the stab wound he had told her about. She bent and gently kissed the scar, slightly surprised to find no reaction from him. Looking up she realized he had fallen into deep sleep.


	3. The two sides of a coin

This is the much awaited Nel-Grimmjow one shot. Apologies for the delay, a lot of things happened and I sort of grew disinterested and demotivated towards this particular story. But I intend to see it to the end so I will continue writing. There are 3 more one shots left in this series after that I will bid farewell to the "If I could Fly" verse.

This chapter is dedicated to i-come-from-pluto, who was the first person asking me for a detailed look on this storyline.

Special thanks to Cerice Belle, my Beta. I am driving her insane :) As usual R&R.

* * *

><p><strong>The two sides of a coin<strong>

**GRIMMJOW**

She always called me GJ. Well, not always, but most of the time. I was attracted to her from the time I saw her in the academy. Ours was a smallish one with only thirty of us training under two trainers. If you need a comparison, these training academies are similar to a residential dojo. The orphans, particularly the unruly ones, are often dumped here. Sometimes for a little bit of money, sometimes like a piece of old furniture that has run out of use with it's original owner. I have no fucking clue how these run down academies stay afloat, where they get the dough from and honestly, I can't be bothered to know. One of the trainers found me, less than an year old, dumped at their doorstep. A piece of paper that was wedged into the blanket declared that my name was Grimmjow Jagerjaquez and that's all. Either I was a fucking hell-raiser as an infant or I am a bastard or an orphan with no one to look after me. I like to think it was the first. Either way, I was dumped and my life was within the walls of that academy. However,one is only allowed to stay in the academy till they are fifteen. On the day one turns sixteen, they are unceremoniously dumped on their ass.

Unceremoniously dumped on my ass was how I first met her- embarrassing as hell. I was eleven and was caught as I was pulling a prank on someone. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. I have always been a practical joker. But this time, being caught red-handed the recipients of the joke decided to 'teach me a lesson'. Fuck- no sense of humor at all. I mean all I had done was to paint red mustaches on four guys while they were sleeping. It's not my fault that one of them woke up sneezing. Anyhow, I was hoisted by my arms and legs and thrown across the yard, landing hard on my ass. Wincing in pain I was rubbing my sore bottom when I heard a laugh. Turning to the sound, I saw a pair of slender legs walking towards me. I followed the legs all the way up to find this girl, short green-hair, (Chick tells me it's not green, but Turquoise, but frankly I don't care. To me it's green.) wide grey eyes, bony structure, flat chested and short. I have no idea why, but looking at the girl, I turned red to the very tips of my black hair. I came to know a few things later. One, the girl's name was Neliel Tu Odelschwanck. Two, she dyed her hair green because she liked the color. Three, I had a massive thing for her. Four, I couldn't open my mouth in front of her without turning several shades of various colors faster than traffic lights. In fact it took me a whole year to open my mouth in front of her. And when I finally did, I fucking screwed it up! I distinctly remember saying "cawebfrnds" when I wanted to say "Can we be friends?". Talk about a history of being embarrassed. If all that wasn't enough, she had taken to calling me GJ. She was the only one in fact who could call me that and get away with it. It was a good thing she approached me because I was being an ass over her.

Once she broke the ice, we became friends real quick. I liked everything about her. I liked that she would tease me to no end. I loved it when she dyed my hair blue, to match my eyes. Not only did she love my hair that way, it also made me look fucking badass. I liked it that she fought like a man and her punches could knock much bigger opponents out cold. I also found it fucking cute when she tried her first cigarette. She drew long and hard, inhaled some of the smoke expressionlessly then dissolved into spasms of coughs, tears streaming down her tomato red face. I had fallen for her, hard but I never told her anything, never felt the need to. She knew it, it was evident. I knew she liked me too. We were meant to be together, it was a foregone conclusion. I kissed her the first time when we were both fifteen, she responded completely. It was clumsy, lacking in finesse and way too hormone driven but it was enough for both of us to know for sure. We both knew we would have to leave the academy next year and we would have to find a place to stay. Unspoken we had started to look for accommodation. It was Nel who found the small one bedroom flat that would be our home. We left the academy and rented the flat and did some part time jobs to sustain us. It was as she started mingling with normal people that she started having doubts. She liked the quieter life better. It was as if she had somehow started seeing things differently. I did not know what she meant. I was born to fight and the quieter life wasn't my cup of tea. Then I got my first real job, completed it too and when I came back home, all hell broke loose. We fought like we never had. We said things we shouldn't have, then she asked me to get out and I did. That was the biggest fucking mistake of my life. A mistake that haunted me for the next eight years.

* * *

><p><strong>NELLIEL<strong>

When Rangiku dragged me to the sleepover, overriding every argument I made, I had expected it to be a mildly boring experience. I am not shy, but I am not one of those people who can instantly make friends either, so I was expecting a night in which I would be mostly quiet and if possible, blend in the background, which I knew was wishful thinking. My hair color stands out, but I wasn't willing to let my natural blond show just so that I could blend in the background. So, unwillingly, I accompanied her. The thing I was least expecting to run into was Grimmjow Jagerjaquez after six long years. When I saw him, it was like someone had started a film in my head. I saw those two years flash before my eyes, over and over again. The two years during which I was sure I would go mad. The worst part wasn't the waiting, it wasn't the madness, it also wasn't the searching, the worst part was the thought that maybe I could have done something differently. That thought alone kept me going. A part of me knew that he was gone and what I was doing was fruitless. But a greater part of me refused to believe that he had simply disappeared. That he could so easily leave five and half years of his life behind. It took me two long years to finally accept what I knew all along- he wasn't coming back.

Only I know how much of an effort it took to calm my self and not run away from the place screaming like a banshee. But in the truth and dare, when the black-haired thin guy (I now know he's called Uryuu Ishida, didn't know it then) dared me to do something unthinkable, there really was only one thing I could do, slap the man who was the cause of so much distress to me. I really didn't care what anyone else thought of me, I just had to get the frustration out of my system. I had managed to convince myself in the past four years that I was over him, but seeing him again rekindled all the feelings in full intensity. Both my love and my hate. When he kissed me, every cell of my body screamed. I hated myself for liking the kiss and liked myself for being able to mask it behind my hate. When he approached the black-haired girl, I almost laughed at his desperate attempt to get my attention. Fool! As if I could look at anyone else. But when his attempts at making me jealous failed so terribly, I did laugh. He hadn't changed one bit. Subtlety was never his strong suit; it was no different this time either. When I noticed him talking to Rangiku, I knew it wasn't the last time I was seeing him. Strangely, a small part of me was hopeful. How much more pathetic could I get?

He did show up a few days later, with pink carnations. I adore those flowers, but this time I was better prepared. Prepared to let my anger take precedence over my love for him. He needed to know what he had done to me. I loved him, a lot, but I didn't trust him any more. Self preservation took precedence for me and I lashed out at him. Telling him exactly what I thought and walked away. I didn't know what to expect and I told myself that I was ready for whatever his reaction would be. I didn't expect a bunch of pink carnations and a card the next day. It was delivered at my work place. The card didn't have any name, just a big sorry, written in green and blue- our colors. I smiled a bit but then did what I thought was right, threw the flowers away. I couldn't bring myself to tear the card so I threw it away. Since then I got flowers every day for the next few days and then all of a sudden, just when I had started to marginally look forward to them, they stopped. Just like the last time, he disappeared without a trace and I was left wondering what just happened.

Later on the news that I learned that Aizen Souske had been arrested, along with a bunch of his minions. I remembered that he had come to the sleepover with Aizen's daughter and niece, claiming to be the cousin of some other black haired guy. I knew they were lying but I never cared about that particular detail till I heard that name in the news. I had a feeling that probably he's in some kind of a trouble, but then I brushed it aside, telling myself that I was doing the same thing again- justifying his actions to myself. A few days after the trial was over, I had a surprise visitor. It was a Saturday afternoon and I was alone in my flat. Rangiku was out shopping. She had tried to drag me, but I feigned a headache and stayed home. I was reading a book when the knock sounded. Since I wasn't expecting Rangiku for another couple of hours, I walked up to the door, surprised. I opened it to find myself staring at a face that had until recently, dominated the local news channels.

"Orihime Inoue?" I was very surprised. I remembered then that she was also Rangiku's friend, "I am sorry but Rangiku isn't home."

"I know. I called her. Can I come in?" The girl said with a smile.

"Oh of course. I'm so sorry." I stepped aside to let her in and closed the door behind her. "Rangiku would be here in a couple of hours."

"I know Neliel," She replied, sitting down on the couch, "Actually I didn't come to meet her. I came to meet you."

"Me?" I was totally perplexed.

"You see, I owe Grimmjow a huge favor, I am just repaying it in a small way."

"Oh!" I said, everything finally clicking into place. "I do not want to be rude to you Orihime since your are Rangiku's friend, but whatever it is that you have to say, I am not willing to listen. If there was something he wanted to say to me he could come here and say it himself. I believe he knows where I live?"

"Nel, I understand your anger. It's justified too." The girl replied calmly, "But before you draw any conclusion, could you please at least listen to me? From one girl to another."

I sighed. There was something about that pretty faced girl that I just couldn't say no to. I sat down and said,

"Fine, tell me what do you have to say?"

"Grimmjow would have come here personally, if he could. But he cannot, it's physically impossible for him."

I frowned and looked at her. She continued,

"He is one of the people who got arrested along with Aizen Souske."

My worst fears were confirmed. I sat there unsure of how to feel. At that moment I felt nothing. There was a vast emptiness within me. I heard my next question but I have no memory of ever asking it,

"How long?"

"Two years."

We sat in complete silence for a while, each staring at the other. Finally she said,

"I think you need time to sort out your feelings." She scribbled something on a piece of paper and put it in my hand, "This is my number. Call me when you feel like talking."

I looked at the piece of paper but my mind still didn't work. I saw her leave, but I couldn't even get up to lock the door behind her. I do not know how long it was before I cried.

Over the two years I found a wonderful friend in Orihime Inoue. She told me that he had asked her to let me know that he wasn't able to send me the flowers. I also learned that the black haired man, who claimed to be GJ's cousin was actually her boyfriend. And she told me that it was almost impossible to meet them in the jail. She herself had met Ulquiorra only four times since he was arrested. I didn't know if I wanted to meet him or not. Sure I was no longer as angry with him as I was when I met him again at the sleep over, but some part of me had still not forgiven him. I asked Orihime several times why she was indebted to GJ, but she would always skirt away from the topic. At the end of two years, she came to me all bright and shining.

"Nel!" She said as she jumped on to my bed, waking me up.

"What?" I said groggily.

"Nel they are coming Nel. They are coming!" She was jumping up and down.

"Aliens?" I said stupidly.

"What?" She stopped, her eyes wide. "Did you just say Aliens?"

"Sorry, I had a weird dream about Aliens invading us and zombies defending the Earth."

"Nel!" Orihime said, her eyes growing wider, "That's is brilliant. We can even have robots join us in the war. You know because zombies are scared of fire, it's their weakness. If the Aliens do their research they would know that the zombies can be annihilated so we should have fire proof robots as the second line of defense. They would..."

"ORIHIME," I cut her short, I knew left to herself she could ramble about that random dream for hours, completely forgetting what she was here for, "Who is coming?"

"Aliens." She replied, her eyes still having that crazy gleam.

I sighed and got off the bed, letting her be lost in her insane dream for sometime. I freshened up and stepped out to see her sitting and talking with Rangiku. She did not have that crazy gleam anymore and I knew she was back to Planet Earth.

"So, what were you telling me earlier? Who's coming?"

"Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Nnoitra." She said, smiling brightly.

"Oh!" Was all I could say.

"Nel, I am throwing a party in their honor. Will you come?" She asked anxiously.

"Orihime, I..I don't know if I should." I wanted to go. But I was suddenly scared. What do I tell him? I didn't know if I had gotten over those two years or not.

"Come on Nel," Rangiku said, "Give the guy a chance. Meet him at the party. If it doesn't feel alright, if you still think it's wrong, no one's forcing you."

"Nel," Orihime added, "This misunderstanding has been between the two of you for far too long. I think what the two of you need is some time with each other, alone. I assure you that if you come to the party, I will give the two of you the time you need. I know what it is like to be away from the one you love. One shouldn't stay away for more than what is necessary. It's been eight years Nel, I think it's time you both gave your relationship another chance. You are both adults now."

"Yes," Rangiku added wisely, "don't harp much longer on past mistakes. There are always newer mistakes to make."

"Rangiku!" Both of us laughed.

"But.." I started.

"No ifs and buts." Rangiku said firmly, "You are going and that's final."

"But Rangiku, I don't know what to wear."

Both my friends squealed in delight.

* * *

><p><strong>GRIMMJOW<strong>

FUCK!

I stood there gaping like a fucking idiot. I couldn't believe my eyes! She stood there, looking more beautiful than any angel that I could pull out of my fucking brain.

""You don't seem very happy to see me, GJ?"

GJ? She was calling me GJ again? My mind came up with a thousand witty replies to that. I chose the wittiest one,

"Nel? How?"

Yeah, I am smart like that.

"You remember the letter you sent to me?" the chick said, "The one in which you gave me Nel's address and asked me to inform her as to why you had to go away yet again?"

"Yes.." I was being so eloquent, I should have been fucking proud of myself.

"Well, I just went a step further." She said grinning. "I am sure the two of you have a lot to talk about, so go in Grimmjow. I'll see you both during dinner in about an hour."

She pushed me into the room and closed the door behind me. I was still standing there, staring at her like I was competing for the title of 'The World's Biggest Moron'. She smiled and sat down on one of the three chairs in the room. I had been to this room once before, when I had joined as an Espada. My interview was conducted here. A table and three chairs, that was all that this room had and since she was sitting on one of them I chose another one. Funnily it was the same fucking chair on which I sat during my interview. Technically this would be another interview. A much more important one.

"So.." We both started at the same time, looked at each other and grinned.

"Ladies first." I said automatically.

"Chivalry doesn't suit you GJ. You are the one who needs to talk anyway."

I sighed, once again feeling like an eleven year old boy dumped on his ass, staring up at the girl of his dreams.

"I have been thinking." I said finally, "It's not like I had much else to do in the jail." I smiled weakly at my pathetic joke. _Real suave, Jagerjaquez_.

She nodded, waiting for me to continue.

"So, I realized, I was an ass. I don't have any excuse for behaving like a total jerk. All I can say is this Nel, if I were given one wish in life, I would want to go back and wipe all those tears that you spilled for me. I don't know how you could do it because I sure as fuck do not deserve it. If that wasn't enough, I disappeared on you yet again for two years. I know the second time wasn't quite my fault but I still blame myself for it. Once I found you again, I didn't want to spend a moment without you."

"GJ," Nel whispered, her eyes downcast, "I think now, slowly I am beginning to get over it. I guess I had to let all my bitterness out. Once I had gotten it out of my system, I was much better. I am no longer as mad at you as I once was. I may not have been able to completely forgive you for it, but Orihime made me realize that it's time I put the past behind and move on."

I smirked, "That chick's something else, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is." she was smiling fondly.

We both sat there in complete silence, looking at each other. She was willing to give me a second chance, there was nothing better than that. The chick was right, I wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Finally I stood up and walked over to her. I slowly gathered her up in my arms and kissed the top of her head. I cupped her face with one hand and bent down to kiss her slowly. This was my life line and I had to be completely sure that I didn't be a complete jackass and screw it up. I had a lot of making up to do, but my angel was here, willing to let me try again. I would give it all I had and more. After all I had eight fucking years to make up for.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Contents of Grimmjow's letter to Orihime:

Chick,

Do me a favor. Tell Nel I am sorry that I cannot send flowers to her. Also apologize to her that I am disappearing again, but this time I promise that I will come back to her. Please ask her to have faith on me this one time. Her address is written below. I'll look after Emoking, you stay happy and stay safe. Take care, both of yourself and that little shrimp.

Grimmjow.


End file.
